How did you start skiing?

[Kimmyt]

Do you still have the old gear? (Or pictures of it!?)

I was introduced to skiing in college. My roommate and her boyfriend skiied, and fairly well. They talked me and another roommate into going once and she 'taught' me to ski in between runs on the double black moguls. My 'skiing' involved a death tuck and extreme wedge down the hill (Tussey Mt. near State College, PA). I scared the pi$$ out of myself and loved every minute.

Went back a few times when an idiot I dated in college that skiied went (mostly to hang out with him, like a stupid girl) but the cost was a limiting factor when I was a poor college student.

When I got a real job, a few people from my department organized a 'ski day' and we all took a beginner lesson. It made a world of difference, and I found that having someone actually take time to tell me what to do and correct me (that wasn't jonesing to go off on their own) made skiing SO much more, if not easy, then at least FUN!

I went one more time during a work-organized ski outing, and I LOVED it. I started going once every two weeks or so on a weeknight after work, all by myself, and it was very liberating. I really fell in love with the sport, and then I met someone who was a snowboarder and fell in love with him.

Since then my life has been a whirlwind of climbing and skiing trips, and when we're not doing one of those we're cycling or running or (now) training for triathlon!

I love my newfound life of athleticism!

K.

 

[Kimmyt]

woops double post

 

[Lynn]

At age 36 my son had skiied a few times with a nearby family. He asked me to come the next time "come on mom, you'll like it." The hill (elk mtn) had a ski intro package of $30 for rental equipment, beginner lift ticket and 2 hr group lesson.

By the end of that first day,I was hooked. Couldn't wait to go again. Bought boots soon after (white with lavender insides) and used some kids skis which our friends son had outgrown.:o

I am now 50 and loving it more than ever. Oh, and I've updated the equipment QUITE a bit.:D

 

[marta]

I've still got those old rossi rental skis, I think they originally came from Killington. I plastered them in end to end tie-dye bumper stickers. Skiied them for nearly 15 years , replaced the bindings 2x, before I learned what new skis felt like. They will eventually become an adirondack chair.

 

[smpayne]

When I was 6 my dad took us up to Hyak (now part of Summit @ Snoqualime) just outside of Seattle. He tried to teach my brother and me how to ski (he used to be an instructor to the Air Force wifes in MA). I remember being so afraid of the toe rope, that I couldn't make myself turn right, because that would head me straight towards it. My left turn is still my default when I get nervous and want to stop quickly. My brother, only 3 not afraid of anything, ended up going right into the toe rope and got a nasty rope burn across his face. Needless to say that was the end of our day.

My dad was transfered to Los Angeles and we did not go skiing again until about 7 yrs later when we went to Mammoth Mountain. This time, he stuck us in a lesson the first day and it was a blast. We had a few more big family ski vacations and I eneded up going skiing with my high school youth group 1-2 times a year. When I was 16 I gave my bike (had a drivers license, who needs a bike) to my brother for a pair of Salomon SX 91equipe boots . They were way above my skiing level, but we found them at 1/2 price and I loved skiing in them, they didn't hurt.

I convinced my first boyfriend to learn how to ski and later I took my fiance (now my husband) to Utah with my family to ski for a week. Did not even try to teach him, we stuck him in a lesson. He is not as obsessed about it as I am, but he loves to ski just the same. Now the kids are involved and are as completely obsessed as thier mom. Funny thing, it was my mom that convinced my dad to learn how to ski also.

 

[Jilly]

I have the tip from an "Alberg" ski that I once had. The bindings were cables around the heel. The edges were screwed in. I used ski boots that laced up. I got "step in" bindings on my new skis and 5 buckles on the new "Humanic" boots the next year. When a friend opened his ski shop 10 years ago I found a pair of "Tryol" boots exactly like the Humanic except for colour for display in his store. We used one as a container for a dried floral arrangement. It still sits on the counter by the front door. Heah - Cambridge Kate - did you get the leather patch on the side of your coat where the rope tow would burn through your jacket?? Because we had 2 rope tows, you needed a complete waist patch on your jacket. One for both sides.

 

[schudz]

Greetings,
I've really enjoyed reading about everyone's experiences! Skiing was not on my activity radar when I lived in the Milwaukee/Chiacago area, but when I was 28 and got married, my husband was already living in Colorado and it seemed like a good time to try something _else_ that was new. Since he was wise enough not to try to teach me himself, I took my first lessons at Ski Cooper, a great little hill on the Continental Divide. Not too long after those first lessons, I expereinced backcountry skiing and have been hooked. Now, two years later, we've skiied some amazing places in and out-of-bounds; while it's been an interesting learning curve, it's been fantastic. It helps that hubby is a ski patroller in his free time, so I get great tips and lots of time on the hill!

 

[snobound]

I couldn't tell you how I started skiing. I just remember always skiing!
My parents took me up to Big Mountain when I was about 4 and it's all been history since. I was one of the "terrors" on the mountain ever weekend and days off of school. Dabbled alittle in racing as a kid too. I can still remember running gates down chair 3. I've had about 3 seasons since when I didn't ski. 2 while in high school, and one 3 years ago (just can't ski in Iraq).

When I was 8 or 9 my dad took my backcountry on the backside of Big Mountain (before there was chairs). The ski patrol didn't like the idea, thought they were going to have to come get me out. But I skiied it and have been a powder hound ever since!

 

[violetx3g3]

Bear Mountain, CA 7th grade, winter of '71 school trip 2 days, first run took me 1 hour to get down, next 1/2 n' hour, fell in love with the snow, and skiing

 

[Sheena]

This is a fun thread. Glad it was bumped. I started skiing in third grade. My mom wanted us to do something fun together as a family so she took us all to Holiday Valley, which is in western New York. I remember taking the rope tow up to the top of the beginner area (they had a beginner area with Sesame Street characters) and a bunny slope with a t-bar, I remember being amazed on that first day at the big kids skiing down the bunny slope and mastering the bunny hill. At any rate, I was in a lesson, and when I got to the top of the lift, the instructor told me to make a pizza and go down the hill. Then when I started to pick up speed and get to the bottom he told me to stop, I had no idea what to do so I kept going toward him. He had to put his arm out and catch me around the waiste to stop me.

My first year was only three days but I was hooked! I then skied all through high school, and 1 year in college, and then beacuse of proximity issues and financial issues, skiing was put on hold for a few years, but I really missed skiing. Got back into it 4-5 years ago and am loving it!

 

[VTchristine]

Hey! I'm so glad I found this forum - just what I'm looking for.

I'm in the "don't quite remember" camp. My mom worked at Smugglers Notch in Vermont, so that was our home mountain. My poor sisters started at the Underhill Ski Bowl, which no longer exists. Both of them broke their left leg there at the same place on the hill!

I started about 3rd grade and was always put into ski lessons as "babysitting." I picked it up quickly and was soon out there by myself doing all sorts of crazy stuff on the mountain, like going too fast and going down the liftline. I stopped in 8th grade because we moved closer to town and my mom didn't work there anymore. At that time, I was skiing on a pair of K2 hand-me-downs that were 190!

Fast forward over 20 years. My sisters and mom still ski so I was invited to Stratton. I was so nervous, but it was like riding a bike! I was in love again. This was about 5 years ago. I bought a pair of skis (which was a bad idea - I knew nothing about it) and have been skiing ever since. I mostly ski in Western MA and make an occasional trip or two to Vermont, depending on the weather.

Last year I went to Jay Peak with my sister and a friend - girls weekend! It was SO MUCH FUN. I highly recommend Jay. This year we want to spend the weekend there.

 

[Native Vail Gal]

How did I miss this Post?????

Anyhoo....

I started skiing in 1969 (I was 2). The first time up was on Berthoud Pass....RIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD! Dad pulled over, and took my sister and I up the side of the "mountain" (Read....small hill of dirt!) by the armpits and let us go! Mom and Dad took turns catching us before we hit the road! (literally)

When we acquired some "Skill", we headed for the base hill of Vail Mountain and Steamboat Springs (no need to waste 2.00 on a lift ticket yet!)

I used to cry :Cry: and throw up in the beginning, and as we all know.....I grew to love it (as we all have) and absolutely can't live without it now!!

Some of you have already seen this little clip, but for those of you who haven't, here's a little snipet of the early years of NVG tackling Vail Mountain in 1969! (I'm the smaller one....my sister is the taller one, and my mom serves as the one who's legs I cling to!)

[MEDIA]https://s170.photobucket.com/albums/u267/kellyincolorado/?action=view&current=7a6df326.flv[/MEDIA]

 

[Ski Spirit]

I started skiing approx. 3 seasons ago only because my then boyfriend begged me to try it! Little did he know I would turn into a fanatic!

It was Xmas day at Alpine Meadows. I remember it vividly and how different/enjoyable it was vs. my impression from 20 years earlier (one expereience skiing in jeans...vowed to never go again).

 

[Gloria]

on a rope, literally

I learned to ski when I was 3 at Big Sky. On a rope literally. I think us Montanans are just a bit more brash, my parents tied a rope around my waist, and took me to the top of the gondola and evidentially just skied down with all of us kids that way. We did eventually end up in lessons, lots of them, but I don't remember the experience as being bad. And I don't ever remember not wanting to ski or not liking it. In fact all of us remained avid skiers.

 

[Gloria]

How did I miss this Post?????

Anyhoo....

I started skiing in 1969 (I was 2). The first time up was on Berthoud Pass....RIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD! Dad pulled over, and took my sister and I up the side of the "mountain" (Read....small hill of dirt!) by the armpits and let us go! Mom and Dad took turns catching us before we hit the road! (literally)

When we acquired some "Skill", we headed for the base hill of Vail Mountain and Steamboat Springs (no need to waste 2.00 on a lift ticket yet!)

I used to cry :Cry: and throw up in the beginning, and as we all know.....I grew to love it (as we all have) and absolutely can't live without it now!!

Some of you have already seen this little clip, but for those of you who haven't, here's a little snipet of the early years of NVG tackling Vail Mountain in 1969! (I'm the smaller one....my sister is the taller one, and my mom serves as the one who's legs I cling to!)

https://s170.photobucket.com/albums/u267/kellyincolorado/?action=view&current=7a6df326.flv

I love that video! Do you two end up racing, both of you look like your trying to go faster.

 

[Native Vail Gal]

I love that video! Do you two end up racing, both of you look like your trying to go faster.

Nah...I think Dad just told us that once we could go a certain mph....then we could take a ride up the mountain! :D

 

[abc]

Hey, this is a fun thread!

I learn to ski relatively late. (I grew up where there's NO snow) One of my close friend said "My professor came to work with a broken arm from skiing but he said he'll go right back to it once it healed! So skiing must be great fun to be worth the broken bones!". Well, that sure did get me intriged...

Attending college in Michigan, I've never seen so much snow, and for so long of a part of the year! So I figured I'd better find a winter sport or I'd gone crazy with cabin fever. (I was already, depressed by the end of the FIRST winter!). BTW, why did I choose Michigan for college the first place? I wanted to go somewhere very different from my home town. Well, little did I realize what I've bargain for!

Anyway, to actually start took a bit more hesitation but eventually I did went over to the bunny hill nearby. I was the ONLY one who couldn't get up by the rope tow! I couldn't figure out how others could do it so naturally. But I thought "hey, they probably had skied before!". Good self-motivation strategy! Or I would have quit out of frustration. (but I honestly thought so at the time!:p )

So, with mid-guided perserverance, I slowly but surely progressed from the green to the blue. It helped a lot there's a small area nearby that were quite cheap. Being a student, I had days in the middle of the week that I had no classes so I could go to the hill and took advantage of mid-week specials for relatively little moeny...

I didn't actually "catch the bug" till much later, when I took my first trip out west. The blue sky, white soft snow and wide open slopes! For the first time I enjoy just being OUT! It was like "wow! this is what SKIING is about!!!".

The rest, as they say, is history.:D

 

[dloveski]

My ski journey...

began when my family moved from the flatland (Iowa) to Utah in 1969---in my senior year in high school (Utah in '69 was a VERY different place then). Needless to say, I was not happy to leave my friends and the life I'd known and trying to fit in to the local culture was.....well, not easy.

My parents weren't exactly the hovering, overly-protective types. If we wanted to ski, they weren't going to stand in our way---but they weren't about to plop down a bunch of money either.

One blizzardy day, my dad dropped me and my two younger brothers off at Brighton Ski resort. They said they would pay for one lesson each---but that was all. And told me I was responsible for my brothers. They bought us the cheapest gear they could find-----Sears used rental equipment (metal Heads, generic boots, cheap parkas). It was a rough day and we got pretty wet and cold (my younger bro was freaking out because he couldn't feel his fingers it was so cold and I told him it was 'all in his head'. I've never lived that down). No bunny hill that day---we went right up on the Majestic Lift and struggled. I fell about every 20 feet.

We could have ended up hating skiing, but for some reason, we kept at it, becoming basically self-taught. I never learned the proper technique, but there was little I would or could not get down somehow. Skiing was less a sport than a lifestyle.

And we all three are still avid skiiers to this day, though I cannot hold a candle to my brothers' telemarking skills. I wouldn't trade those early years with the horrible equipment for anything---we didn't even know how bad it was (I did not have a pair of goggles til about 1975)---I skiied for the sheer pleasure of playing in the snow. The resorts were never crowded, lift tickets to Park City and Brighton were $5.00. The year Snowbird opened (1971?) was a blast--- spent exploring untracked terrain all day without a map and with heavy metal skis and a boda bag.

Skiing took a backseat during my 30s and 40s, as I pursued my education, career, raised 3 kids, and launched their ski lives (then all 3 ended up BOARDING--oh the disappointment).

Now I am nurturing my inner skier and for the first time in my life, I have great gear and am working on technique. I'm having a blast, but I treasure the 'good old days'.

 

[sibhusky]

Unfortunately I wasn't a kid when I learned, I was in college and had just turned 20. My junior year of college was spent in Austria and all of us spent Christmas spread out over a handful of Austrian villages. I went to Fieberbrunn and stayed in an inn where you could tell what was for dinner by the squawking in the barn in the AM. Three meals a day and 20 hours of instruction. I'd rented equipment in Vienna, but hadn't a clue what I was doing. Raised my arm in the air and was handed some skis that reached my palm -- for a never ever skier. The boots I got hurt, but I didn't know enough to question this...as it turned out I had to get a different pair in Fieberbrunn they hurt so much. I was terrible at skiing, couldn't hold a traverse across the hill and couldn't "hup" when they said. I remember twice shooting down the hill sitting on the backs of the skis like a sled. One time I ended up in the middle of another class of Austrian boys, all about 14 or so, jabbering about me laying on my back in the middle of them. I could never get up without assistance when I fell, either. They have a movie of me somewhere falling over and over and over again trying to get up. Needless to say, I hated skiing.

Came back to the US and graduated in the middle of a recession, ended up working in a department store for less than $3 an hour. That winter I ended up going on a ski trip through the store only because my friends and some of the cutest boys were all going on this trip. At that point the Graduated Length Method was being taught. They put me on short skis (160's?) and guess what, I had actually learned something back in Austria, it was just the skis I couldn't handle due to lack of muscle. I took one lesson on the trip and made it from the top of the mountain down to the bottom and only fell three times. I was hooked. I don't think I got many more days in that year, but the next year I logged 21 days, driving from West Chester to Camelback and back in the Poconos each weekend day. Then I was back in grad school and didn't ski that much. After grad school, I was engaged and then married and I am thinking we might have gotten 8 days or so a season until we finally bought a condo at Camelback in 1986. The rest is history. I had to get my money's worth out of a season pass and proceeded to do so.

 

[ski now work later]

My Dad was a skier and took me skiing a handful of times during the 1960s when I was growing up. I remember going to Great Gorge, Sugarbush, and Camelback (I grew up in the NY/NJ metropolitan area). I don't think I ever had lessons though and I was never very good but I loved it! I skied once or twice in high school in the 1970s and even applied to Middlebury College in VT because they had their own snow bowl (I was wait listed for admission and wound up attending Oberlin College in Ohio where there was plenty of snow but flat lands). Then in the mid to late-1980s when I was in law school, I skied in Vail with my Denver cousins, Aspen for a week with a boyfriend who was an instructor there and got me into a free 5 day skiclinic, and skied a few times in New England at Stratton and Sugarloaf. I owned my first pair of skis during this time (Head skis in 180 length!) and some white, rear entry hard plastic boots. My outfit was pastel green with pink and white accents (ugh with my auburn hair -- how 1980s!). Anyway, I sucked as a skier -- I never could "parallel," and I was always crossing my tips, but I totally loved it and got the big mountain bug in my system which had to lay dormant for another 2 decades. I took some lessons but it never sunk in and I couldn't get my skis to cooperate.

In 1990, at age 30, I got married, and my former husband was a cross country skier. We went to Colorado in 1991 (I think to Keystone) and skied for 2 days -- separately. I still sucked. That was the last time I skied until December 2004. That year I remarried and moved back into my newly built house that had been destroyed by fire in April 2003. My kids were a little older, my new husband was interested in me being happy and encouraged me to do the things I wanted from my life. I, too, was ready to move my life in a direction of the things I wanted, and so started horseback riding in May 2004 (I rode a lot as a kid from 1970-1973). During the winter of 03/04, I was representing a young woman in her divorce who was a snowboarder and used to go mid-week to Okemo to ride. She got me thinking about snow again, and then in September 2004, my (new) husband got a flyer for the Wilderness Medicine Seminar that he'd attended in Santa Fe in 2003 and it was being offered in Big Sky, MT in February 2005. His employer at the time had a very generous continuing medical education benefit, we bought each other equipment for the holidays that year, and I hit the slopes with shaped skis, a helmet, and my husband who wanted to learn how to snowboard and had no previous experience with any alpine sports having grown up on a farm in Ohio. A ski diva was born that season! We skied and rode in Vermont in December and Janaury, and in February we went to Big Sky. Although the mountain whopped our butts, I knew I wanted to improve and come back. Later that season we asked our 4 kids what snow sports they wanted to try, and 2 chose skiing and 2 chose snowboarding.

The rest is, well, history (in the making). This winter will be the 4th season on snow for Mr. SNWL and me, and will be our kids' 3rd season. I feel very lucky that all of my family has taken to the sport (though I am definately the fanatic of the bunch). Since I never learned to parallel back then, I've taken to wider skis easily and for whatever reason, I love the park and freestyle skiing (at least watching it so far as I haven't learned how to do much in the air yet and am still working on skiing switch).

And that's how I started skiing!